Your argument is logical and it is exactly the same approach I took when I started learning Japanese over a year ago. However, it doesn't work for me. Without the ability to recall Kanji from memory, learning anything japanese becomes a crutch and a *major* obstacle. Even looking up a japanese character dictionary becomes a chore. Imagine seeing an english word but not remembering how the letters look-- now open a dictionary and try to match the letters. :)
I have the Japanese for Busy People series. It's a good introductory material, but it is way too slow-- barely any kanji until you get to the second book. The best book I've seen is "Japanese for Everyone: A functional approach to daily communications"-- the author isn't shy about using Kanji from the very beginning. But while you can study the Kanji on page 20 and know how to read and pronounce them in context today, by the time you reach page 40 next week, you would've forgotten *ALL* of them. It's like you're trying to fill water into a bucket with holes. :) The pimsleur comprehensive series are excellent learning materials, but they are very expensive considering that by the end of level 3 (90 lessons later), you will still be a beginner. On 8/22/05, DH Dynamint <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You'll do much better to start with a textbook that progresses in a natural > order, learning hiragana and katakana along with grammar and vocabulary > rather than studying thousands of kanji that you can't pronounce, use, or > understand in a spoken context. > > My college uses Genki, which is a beginning textbook covering hiragana, > katakana, basic grammar, and about 120 kanji. I've also heard wonderful > things about Japanese for Busy People, which I've seen at Borders and which > should be readily available online. > > If you can find some audio aids, that will be very helpful in developing > your listening skills and helping you have more correct pronunciation when > you speak. Good luck! ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/9rHolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Japanese_Language/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
